Steel wool machine



June 6, 1933. w ROBBINS 1,912,951

STEEL WOOL MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1931 4 Sheefcs-Sheet l INVENTOR W/LL 1AM H- ROBBINS.

ATTORNEYQ 4 SheetsShet 2 W. H: ROBBINS STEEL WOOL MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1931 I VENTOR A'T'T Q R N EY? June 6, 1933.

' MAL/AM KOBE/N5. BYw-rW June 6,1933. w ROBBINS 1,912,951 I STEEL WOOL MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 4-

l NVE N'TO R W/LL/AM H. KOBE/N5.

ATTORNEY:

Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM. E. ROBBINS, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASBIGNOB TO THE WILLIAIS COMPANY, 01' LONDON, OHIO, A CORPORATION 01' OHIO STEEL WOOL MACHINE Application filed January 5, 1831. Serial No. 508,878.

My invention relates to steel wool machines.

It is the object of my invention to provide a steel wool machine employing a single wire which is looped a multiplicity of times over sheaves that position it with respect to the cutting knives on the table of the machine and is looped over driving sheaves that are located between the idler sheaves'at either end of the table.

It is a further object to provide such a machine in which wires are aligned by separate, independent guiding members.

' It is a further object to provide means of supporting the driving sheaves and idler sheaves firmly and rigidly from the main table, while at the same time permitting adequate floating of the support for the loops of wire with respect to the cutting tools.

It is my object to provide a multiplicity of driving sheaves so as to secure the maximum bearing surface or linear engagement with the wire to insure its being driven through the machine.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation partially broken away of the machine of my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view-thereof.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of 30 Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section through one of the driving drums and a peripheral portion thereof.

' Figure 6 is a plan view of one of the stationary guides showing the guided wires in section.

Figure 7 is an isometric perspective of a wire as looped and driven, with the remainder of the mechanism removed for the purpose of clearness.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 indicates a Wire and its incoming end, which passes across the top of the machine as at 2, thence in a loop 3 over the sheave 4, back across the machine as at 5, thence across the top of the machine around the sheave 6 as at 7, over the top of the sheave 4 and downwardly as at 8, around the idler sheave 9 as at 10, thence beneath that sheave and across the machine between the table 11 and the cutting tools 12 as at 13, beneath the idler sheave 14, upwardly as at 15 over the driving sheave 16, across the table as at 17, over the driving sheave 18, beneath that sheave across the machine as at 19, over the sheave 16 as at 20, thence across the machine as at 21, around the sheave 18 as at 22, thence downwardly as at 23, beneath the idler sheave 9 as at 24, beneath the idler sheave 14, thence upwardly as at 25 over the top of the sheave 6 to a point over the sheave 4, beneath the sheave 9 and so on, until the outgoing wire portion 26 leaves the machine.

I have provided spaced upright columns 27 and 28 for supporting the shafts 29 and 30 on which the sheaves 4, 6, 16 and 18 are mounted. These sheaves 6 and 16 and 4 and 18 are driven in unison through chains 31 and sprockets 32. The sheaves 4 and 6 through their shafts 29 are driven by worm gears 33, worms 34 and worm shaft 35, which in turn is driven through the gears 36 and 37 from the motor 38 mounted on the bracket 40.

The idler sheaves 9 and Marc mounted upon brackets 41 at the extreme ends of the table 11.

Customarily, although for the purpose of illustration in the figures it is diflicult to so illustrate, the driving sheaves are assembled in a unit at the'center of the table relatively remote from the idler sheaves. A plurality of guides 42 having guiding fingers 43 serve to separate and align and guide the loops of the wire.

The wire is guided in loops so that a plurality of such loops in parallelism pass over the rocking guide member 43', which rocks in an arcuate cutaway portion 44 on the underside of the table 11. Engaging with this series of loopsis a series of cutting knives 12 mounted in knife holders 46, the details of which are now well-known and do not form any part of the present invention. The knife holders are mounted on the shaft 47 in the eccentric sleeve 48 and are capable of being tilted for reverse operation and are capable of being adjusted through the eccentric sleeve 48. The arm 49 is used for adjustment or for holding the knives and knife holders 1n position, or moving them into position. Set screws 50 are ut1l1zed for retaining the knives and knife holders 1n a predetermined adjustment.

The primary purpose of my mvention 1s to provide a compact centrally located dr ving unit over which the single piece of wlre is looped a number of times to give the maximum of driving surface without undue flexing of the wire, while securing its passage over the idlers at the extreme ends of the table, which thereby present a plurality of loops of the wire to the cutting tools.

It is my further object, as will be seen from the foregoing description, to have independent guiding fingers between the idlers and driving sheaves for continually aligning and positioning the loops of the wire.

The sheaves may be provided with grooves as .shown in Figure 5, but that is not essential. Such grooves are designated 51.

I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as may be embraced within my claims and the scope of my invention.

Having thus fully desc ibed my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a steel wool machine, a cutting table, cutters, guiding means at either end of said table, and intermediate, spaced, superimposed pairs of driving sheaves comprising an upper pair and a lower pair supporting a single Wire so arranged that it enters over the top of the upper driving pair and is looped therearound, thence passes beneath and around the idlers and thence upwardly over and around the next lower driving pair and thence around and beneath the idler and back over the upper driving pair beneath the i-dlers, and in the same manner until finally passing out of the machine from between said pairs of driving members.

2 In a machine for cutting steel wool from a single wire, a table having cutting means thereon, a guide roller at each end of the table, a pair of vertically spaced drivin rollers adjacent each end of the table, sai wire being successively wound beneath the guide rollers and entirely around the upper of said drlvmg rollers for a plurality of times and then successively wound beneath the guide rollers and around the lower of said driving rollers whereby each 'part of the wire so wound is caused to pass the cutting means, and means to cause the driving rollers to rotate.

3. In a machine for cutting steel wool from a single wire, a pair of idler guide rollers, a pair of driving rollers, one adjacent each guide roller, a second pair of driving rollers, one adjacent each guide roller, said wire bemg wound successively beneath the guide rollers and entirely around the first-mentionedpair of rollers a plurality of tlmes and then beneath the guide rollers and entirely around the second pair of drlvlng rollers a plurality of times, and means to rotate the driving rollers.

4. In a machine for cutting steel wool from a single piece of wire, a pair of idler guide rollers, a pair of driving rollers, adjacent one guide roller, a second pair of driving rollers, adjacent the other guide roller said wire being wound successively beneath the guide rollers and entirely around thefirstmentioned pair of rollers a plurality of times and beneath the guide rollers and entirely around the second pair of driving rollers a plurality of times, means for driving the firstmentioned pair of rollers, and a connection between the first-mentioned pair of driving rollers and the second pair of driving rollers whereby the second pair is driven.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM H. ROBBINS. 

